The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Dianthus plant, botanically known as Dianthus barbatus ‘Red Romance’ and will be referred to hereinafter by its cultivar name, ‘Red Romance’. The new cultivar represents a new cultivar of sweet Williams, an herbaceous perennial grown for landscape use.
‘Red Romance’ was discovered in a container block in the inventor's nursery in Paw Paw, Mich. in May of 2007. The new cultivar derived as a naturally occurring branch mutation that arose during in vitro propagation of Dianthus barbatus ‘Heart Attack’ (not patented).
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished using basal stem cuttings in June of 2007 in Paw Paw, Mich. The characteristics of this cultivar have been determined to be stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.